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Australia’s brightest entrepreneurs are tapping into the next chapter of clean energy. The dynamic technology behind clean energy not only promises to reduce carbon emissions and lower household costs, it has also opened up a whole new business world for today’s savvy innovators. These disruptors are actively encouraging the transition to a clean energy future.
Here are three local start-ups to look out for.
Charge it
Everty is a peer-to-peer charging network for electric vehicles. Think of it as an Airbnb for electric car charging. When the Sydney start-up launches later this year, it will help electric car drivers find parking and top up their car with a private charger.
Demand for charging infrastructure across Australia will soon be outstripped by supply, says Everty co-founder Carola Jonas.
“The Everty network will grow in areas where demand is high and parking space is a constraint,” she says. “Everty’s purpose is to increase the total number of electric cars in Australia and EV drivers will be empowered to charge where they regularly go, near workplaces, beaches, shopping centres and other places.”
Share it
Eveeh is a peer-to-peer electric car-sharing network that offers electric cars such as the Tesla Model S and the Nissan LEAF for hire. Director Slava Kozlovskii says Eveeh supports those who already own an electric car and promotes the driving of one to the uninitiated.
“We are providing a way for electric-vehicle owners to rent their cars out, receive rental income and therefore offset the cost of their car,” Kozlovskii says. “For renters this means we will have greater availability and affordability of rental electric cars for people to experience and use as transport.
“We are also creating a community of people that promote electric cars. This is all essential to increase the adoption of electric vehicles in Australia without a reliance on government incentives.”
Store it
Suncrowd is a community-based, group-buying platform for solar battery storage. The social enterprise bulk buys the storage so it can buy and install solar photovoltaics at an affordable price. Suncrowd visits local communities and hosts information sessions before taking expressions of interest and deposits. The enterprise has held three sessions in New South Wales since launching in June last year.
Piers Grove, executive director at renewable energy accelerator EnergyLab, says switching to solar energy is about more than just hip-pocket savings.
“Residential battery storage completely changes how we manage and consume energy,” he says.
“It’s a big and important step that households will make over the coming years. Suncrowd works with communities to educate and engage consumers not just about the dollars and cents but around values too. Moving to solar and storage with Suncrowd is about being a part of something bigger – not just buying a new product.”
Transitioning to clean energy is an important priority for EnergyAustralia. From installing solar panels to offsetting carbon emissions, there’s a way for every Australian to contribute to this transition and make a difference to our future.
